Chapter 363 : New Friend
「Eh!? Dryad-san, are you okay!? Dryad-san!?」(Mark)
「Aa-ahh, Mark, you’ve gone too far…」(Celine)
「What? What do you mean?」(Mark)
「Well…」(Celine)
「Dryad onee-chan, are you okay?」(Nicola)
While I was wondering what Celine meant by that, Nicola approached the unconscious Dryad, put her hands on her thigh, and shook it.
『Hey, stop it! You’re sexually harassing her!』(Mark)
『Huh? I’m trying to wake her up.』(Nicola)
『Then you can shake her shoulder instead!』(Mark)
『It doesn’t matter. Besides, you’re the one who did it. You made her faint on purpose, didn’t you?』(Nicola)
『What? I didn’t even know why she fainted!』(Mark)
『Hahh… You’re totally clueless, huh? Look. She’s a dryad, a tree spirit. It’s only natural that she is linked to the earth, and do you know what happens if you inject the ground around her with an enormous amount of mana all at once?』(Nicola)
『Aa…』(Mark)
I see now… So that’s what Celine meant by I’ve gone too far…
I crouched down and looked closely at the dryad’s face.
Apparently, it was my fault that she lost consciousness. I feel guilty now…
Anyway, I lifted her body, took her to the playground area, and put her on the earthen seesaw I made.
After waiting for a few minutes, she finally opened her eyes slowly.
「Mmmhh…」(Dryad)
「Dryad-san, you’re awake. I’m sorry. You fainted because of me.」(Mark)
「…..」(Dryad)
「Umm… How are you feeling?」(Mark)
「…I feel… amazing…」(Dryad)
「What…?」(Mark)
「So much power… It’s the first time I’ve tasted such rich and powerful mana… It felt so good that I lost consciousness… Human child, what is your name…?」(Dryad)
「I thought you were not interested in my name.」(Mark)
「I am now…」(Dryad)
「Well, you can call me Mark.」(Mark)
「Mark…」(Dryad)
While calling my name, the dryad slowly raised her upper body and looked me deeply in the eye.
「Mark… Would you be my friend…?」(Dryad)
「Eh? F, friend…?」(Mark)
「Yes… You… Don’t want to be my friend…?」(Dryad)
She tilted her head in a cute way while asking.
Those eyes… They looked like they were saying, “I want to be your friend!”.
It’s hard to refuse while being stared at like that…
「No, no. It’s just… It’s a bit sudden, so… I’m just surprised.」(Mark)
「I see…」(Dryad)
『Oh~? This situation~ ”That Time I Caught The Thief Who Stole My Vegetables And Ended Up Flirting With Her” ーPhu phu!』(Nicola)
『…..』(Mark)
Suddenly, I heard Nicola mention something that sounded like a terrible light novel title in my head.
I ignored her.
「As long as you stop stealing my vegetables, I don’t mind being your friend.」(Mark)
「Stealing… You’re right… I’ve been stealing your vegetables… I’m sorry… I thought they were blessings from the Spirit King… I just wanted to eat delicious vegetables… I’m sorry…」(Dryad)
She slumped her shoulders and lowered her head apologetically at me. Looks like she really reflects on her actions.
She kept denying me before, but now she believes that I’m the owner of this vegetable field.
「I forgive you, so cheer up. And… I don’t mind to be your friend, Dryad-san.」(Mark)
「Thank you, Mark… But… Don’t call me like that… I’m not the only dryad in this world… There are many others… I want you to call me by name…」(Dryad)
「Alright. What’s your name then?」(Mark)
「I don’t have one… Would you give me a name…?」(Dryad)
「…Huh?」(Mark)
Hold on… She wants me to name her!?
She’s talking as if she’s a stray cat I found on the street or something.
Is it really okay if I name her? I mean… She’s a dryadー A spirit!
「Ara~ Mark, this girl wants to make a contract with you.」(Celine)
「A contract?」(Mark)
「Yup. Have you heard of Spirit Magic?」(Celine)
「Spirit Magic… I think I’ve heard about it, but I don’t know exactly what it is.」(Mark)
「Aa! I think I know! I’ve heard of Spirit Magic from my grandpa. He said there was a legendary blacksmith who made a contract with a fire spirit. He used Spirit Magic to make amazing weapons.」(Nei)
Nei was excited when she heard the words ‘Spirit Magic’ and explained with sparkly eyes, but then she quickly hid behind me again. She still seems to be afraid of the dryad.
「Fufu. That’s right. Spirit Magic is a technique you can use after you make a contract with a spirit, and to do that, you have to be acknowledged by the spirit and give them a name.」(Celine)
「I see.」(Mark)
Does that mean this girl has acknowledged me?
I returned my gaze to the dryad and asked.
「Umm… By befriending me, do you mean to make a contract with me?」(Mark)
「Yes… Making a contract… Become friends…」(Dryad)
「I, I see…」(Mark)
Making a contract with her, huh…?
After that, I will acquire the ability to use Spirit Magic, right? Honestly, I’m kinda interested in that magic.
I don’t mind making a contract with her, but I think I’ll ask her a few questions before deciding.
「First, I’d like to ask you. What kind of Spirit Magic will I be able to perform after I make a contract with you?」(Mark)
「Hmm… I’ve never made a contract with someone before… So… I don’t know…」(Dryad)
「Uhh…」(Mark)
Seems like she has no idea at all.
At times like this, there’s one person who might be able to answer my questions.
『Professor Nicola, enlighten me, please!』(Mark)
『Can’t be helped. As Celine said, Spirit Magic can be performed once you make a contract with a spirit, but that’s not what you want to know. You want to know what kind of power you can use if you make a contract with this girl.』(Nicola)
『That’s right.』(Mark)
『Well, since she’s a dryad, the Spirit Magic that can be acquired will be related to trees. People call it Tree Spirit Magic. For example, you can make trees grow at incredible speed or make something out of wood. Well, it depends on this girl’s abilities.』(Nicola)
『I see… What do you think? Should I make a contract with her?』(Mark)
『The ability you can acquire from her will have a high affinity with earth-attributed mana, so it will suit you. Yeah, I recommend making a contract with her. Besides…』(Nicola)
『Besides?』(Mark)
『I want to be her friend and get along with her too~ Muhehe~』(Nicola)
『…Right…』(Mark)
Put aside Nicola’s ulterior motive, it seems like Tree Spirit Magic could be useful for me.
It’s probably not a bad idea to make a contract with her. But…
「Dryad-san, what do you want in return if I make a contract with you?」(Mark)
That’s right. I will be able to get the power of Tree Spirit Magic, but I doubt that it will be free.
Well, I think I know what she wants.
「Vegetables… Feed me your vegetables everyday…」(Dryad)
I knew it.
「If you’re happy with a couple of cucumbers or one cabbage per day, then I don’t mind, but… You eat a lot, don’t you?」(Mark)
She replied with a nod.
「Yes… That won’t be enough… I want at least… half of this field…」(Dryad)
「Half of this field every single day!?」(Mark)
She nodded again as if it was not a big deal.
「Ugh, I’m sorry, but it will be impossible. You see, my parents need these vegetables for our inn. I give some of them to my friends too. If you take half of the field, there won’t be enough for them.」(Mark)
My vegetables are very popular. Other than my parents, I also distribute them to Camellia-san’s bar, the church, and Liza-san for the adventurer guild.
They were excited when they heard that I had fixed my field the other day. They thought they would be able to get themselves some of these vegetables again, and I don’t want to betray their expectation.
「In that case… You have to supply me with your mana…」(Dryad)
Seems like there’s another way to solve this problem.
She created a bracelet made of tree twigs and handed it to me.
「Put this bracelet on… and inject it with your mana every day… For vegetables… I’d be happy if you let me eat some every now and then…」(Dryad)
「…..」(Mark)
I silently took the bracelet and tried putting it on to see if it fit on my hand, but it immediately shrunk and locked in.
I was a bit panicked at first, thinking that it might be cursed equipment that couldn’t be removed, but when I thought about it, the bracelet expanded.
It seems that I can control the size of this bracelet at will.
「So, I just need to inject my mana into this bracelet every day, huh? But, I don’t know how much mana you need. Can I try it now?」(Mark)
「Yes! Send it! Send your mana now!」(Dryad)
She had been talking slowly, but she was so excited that she suddenly talked faster.
Does my mana taste that good?
「Uhh… Please don’t forget to tell me to stop when you have enough mana. Here we go.」(Mark)
I began to inject my earth-attributed mana into the bracelet on my hand slowly.
The dryad then reacted immediately, but…
「Aahh…Aaaaahhhh~… It feels so good~….」(Dryad)
She began to sweat and breathe heavily.
Her reaction reminded me of Celine when I supplied her with my mana at the Portal Crystal in Schultria Village.
『Uhyuuuuu~!! She’s so sexy~!!』(Nicola)
『…..』(Mark)
Obviously, there’s one person who’s excited about it.
「Mark… Aaahhh~… It’s… It’s enough… Aaahh~…」(Dryad)
「A, alright.」(Mark)
It’s only been a few minutes, but her face has turned as red as my tomatoes.
I stopped the flow of my mana and looked at her with a little worry.
「Are you okay?」(Mark)
「Phew… Yes… Mark, you’re amazing… You’re not a human child, are you? …You are actually an earth spirit…」(Dryad)
「Huh? No, no. I’m just a nine-year-old human child.」(Mark)
The reason why my earth-attributed mana is special is probably because of Nicola.
She was an angel with earth attributes, and when we were sent into this world, her soul mixed in with mine which might have influenced the quality of my mana.
「Anyway, sending you this amount of mana every day won’t burden me at all. It won’t be a problem.」(Mark)
「So… Would you be my friend…?」(Dryad)
I smiled at her and nodded.
「Yeah, let’s be friends, umm… Diadora.」(Mark)
「Diadora…?」(Dryad)
「Your name. Umm, do you like it?」(Mark)
「Diadora… Yes… I like it a lot… Thank you, Mark…」(Diadora)
As Diadora showed me her smile, I could feel something powerful and warm between us.
It must mean that the contract has been made and this simple ritual was completed without any problems.
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What next Spirit he gonna make contact
If we go by affinity his next best is water IIRC so undine. Or dark element spirit if those are real